Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 278th day of the year. There are 94 days left in 2016.

Debate fallout continues at the national level. Salt Lake County Auditor releases audit of Recorder Gary Ott’s office. U.S. Senate struggles to vote on bill to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.

The clock:

6 days to the 2nd Congressional District debate at the University of Utah (10/4/2016)

6 days to the vice presidential debate at Longwood University (10/4/2016)

11 days to the second presidential debate at Washington University (10/9/2016)

12 days to the 4th Congressional District debate at Salt Lake Community College (10/10/2016)

14 days to the U.S. Senate debate at Brigham Young University (10/12/2016)

19 days to the 1st Congressional District debate at Weber State University (10/17/2016)

21 days to the 3rd Congressional District debate at Utah Valley University (10/19/2016)

21 days to the third presidential debate at UNLV (10/19/2016)

41 days until the 2016 presidential election - (11/8/2016)

117 days until the first day of the 2017 Utah Legislature - (1/23/2017)

162 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature - (3/9/2017)

Talking points for Wednesday:

1-Utahns have strong confidence that their election ballot will be counted accurately, a new Utah Policy poll shows (Utah Policy).

2-Government shutdown looms as Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate bicker regarding “simple” bill to fund the federal government (New York Times) (The Hill).

3-Sen. Orrin Hatch participates in the Beehive Podcast, discussing education for high-tech careers and other technology topics. He is bringing Apple CEO Tim Cook to Utah on Friday for the Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame dinner (Beehive Podcast).

4-Political Guru Larry Sabato and his Crystal Ball colleagues analyse the election as it stands, including the Electoral College ratings and the chances of the Democrats taking over the Senate (Rasmussen Reports).

5-Violent crime rose in 2015 in the United States, and the murder rate jumped by double digits, the FBI reported. Murders jumped by 16 percent in Chicago (Fox News) (Wall Street Journal).

1779 – Samuel Huntington is elected President of the Continental Congress, succeeding John Jay.

1781 – 9,000 American and 7,000 French troops begin siege of Yorktown.

1787 – Congress sends Constitution to state legislatures for their approval.

1850 – U.S. Navy abolishes flogging as punishment.

1887 – Yellow River floods in China, killing an estimated 1.5 million people.

Today At Utah Policy

Utahns Have Strong Confidence in Ballot AccuracyBy Bob Bernick, Contributing EditorDespite talk about election computer systems being hacked, eight out of 10 Utahns believe their ballot cast in November’s final election will be counted accurately, a new UtahPolicy poll finds.Considering that one of the major party candidates – Donald Trump &nda...

Lee: DOJ Isn't Doing Enough to Protect ChurchesBy Golden WebbIn a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Sens. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz accuse the Justice Department of favoring abortion clinics over churches, and urge the law enforcement agency to respond more assertively to violations of religious liberty....

As the Race Tightens, Whither the NeverTrumpers?By Golden WebbUtah native Evan McMullin entered the presidential race in the immediate aftermath of the Democratic National Convention, when it appeared Donald Trump was headed toward a landslide loss to Hillary Clinton. Now, with polls showing Trump tied or ahead in several crucial battl...

Rigged Election? Utahns Say NoBy Bob Bernick, Contributing EditorIf Donald Trump loses the election, he says it will be because it was “rigged” against him.Most Utahns don’t agree, a new UtahPolicy poll shows.But there is a significant minority (nearly a third) who agree with Trump: The only way he loses is if the electi...

Which Party is Better for the Economy?By StaffAhead of Monday night’s first presidential debate, WalletHub’s analysts compared the economic performance of the U.S. under both Democratic and Republican control to objectively answer an important question: Which Party Is Better for the Economy? The years w...

Press Release: Sen. Karen Mayne Urges School Nurse Funding BoostUtah State Sen. Karen Mayne (D–West Valley) called on her colleagues in the Utah State Legislature to increase funding for school nurses. Citing a newly released Utah Department of Health (UDOH) report stating that Utah faces a “critical shortage” of school...

Kenyan Vote "President Obama's half-brother, who lives in Kenya, told reporters this week that he will be voting for Donald Trump in the country's mock U.S. election. Oh, that's got to sting for Trump - an Obama wants to vote for him, but it's the one with the Kenyan birth certificate." Seth Meyers

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